Blue Plate Special
by badomens
Summary: Officer Flynn Scifo has a hard enough time dealing with the super villains who threaten the safety of the city of Zaphias every day. The last thing he needs is to find himself torn between his crush on cafe attendant Yuri Lowell, and his growing attraction to True Knight, Zaphias' #1 superhero. FlynnXYuri, Cafe/Superhero AU.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: I've been sitting on this particular fic for over a year, trying to wait until I finish up a few related projects, but tumblr keeps giving me signs to post the damn thing, so here we go. I'll be posting part two in a week or so maybe. I am so sorry about Yeager's accent.

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai

* * *

Blue Plate Special pt 1

He couldn't get that smile out of his thoughts. It was more of a smirk than a smile really, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The person it was attached too even more so. Tall, with long legs and a lean form, those glittering charcoal eyes, glossy raven black hair swept back in a ponytail. He hadn't stopped thinking about that person for a moment.

True Knight was the proud and handsome protector of the city of Zaphias. He wasn't the only one, but he was certainly Flynn's favorite. The very sight of him stirred things in Flynn he had never felt before, strong desire and strange longings. But True Knight was not the only one in that respect either. He had to admit there was another. A second person, or rather the first since he had known this person longer, who inspired such feelings.

"Tall, black americano for Officer Flynn."

Tall, pale with long black hair, bordering on androgynous, was Yuri Lowell, the coffee shop attendant. He smelled perpetually of his workplace, like coffee and sweets. He was always cocky and had a clever comeback no matter the situation. Flynn had to admit he had been harboring a crush on the young man for months now since The Comet Cafe opened down the street from the precinct where he worked as a beat cop. Over the months, Yuri had never forgotten his order and in spite of much of his gruff demeanor, was always cordial with him. He hoped that there could be the barest traces of interest returned, but any time he tried to voice these things, he lost his nerve and second-guessed himself.

"Officer Flynn. Your coffee's ready."

The man's voice pulled him roughly out of his jumble of thoughts and he took his cup from the countertop in front of where he had been standing.

"Thank you."

"No prob." Yuri stretched his arms up over his head. From just underneath the strings of his apron, his white, button up shirt lifted just the slightest bit, giving Flynn just a shred of pale skin on his back to view.

His face felt very warm, and the fact that he took a gulp of his still very hot coffee to hide the blush covering his cheeks as Yuri turned back didn't help. It scalded his tongue, but it did the job. He lowered the cup. Maybe today would be the day. It couldn't hurt to ask. As soon as his eyes met Yuri's stormy grey, he lost his nerve like every time before.

"Something wrong, Officer?" Surely he hadn't intended that to sound as sultry as it came out, but it made Flynn feel a little week in the knees.

"Uh, no."

"Okay. Good luck on duty today, then."

"Thanks." He wasn't sure how he managed to get out of the coffee shop. After leaving he immediately headed for the precinct where he was due on duty soon.

Zaphias was a big city, and the police department proportionally large also. Some days, he felt like just a face in a crowd of others that wore the blue uniform, but even still he worked hard to protect the city that he loved. At times though, there were things the police couldn't do. There were criminals who the law couldn't punish. At first, he hadn't agreed at all with the vigilante style of True Knight and his crew, but once he had seen them in action, he changed his mind. The city's superheroes had never failed to aid police against the villains that had cropped up in recent years with the growth of the city. The most notable of these super powered villains was Zagi and his henchmen the Red Eyes. He was widely viewed as the True Knight's arch nemesis and while a super villain, most of his plans were not well thought through and only proved to get him defeated in the end.

Even without the super villains, the officers that defended the city of Zaphias had their hands full. Parts of the city were incredibly unruly, including several of the areas where he was usually assigned. For now, he was just a standard beat cop, but he had dreams of being a detective just as his father had before his death.

"Good morning, Flynn!" The cheerful voice was connected to a pink haired young woman seated behind the front counter as he entered the building. She stretched a clipboard up to him that had a sign in sheet on it.

"Good morning, Ms. Estellise."

He sighed in, and she looked up at him, green eyes full of hope. "So have you asked him yet?"

"No. Not yet."

She pouted, taking the clipboard back. She was the one person who knew of his secret longing for the handsome coffee shop attendant, and had been cheering him on in his pursuit. Sadly, this pursuit wasn't actually going anywhere, in spite of all of her advice and encouragement. It was his own fault and he knew it. "Well, maybe tomorrow. I know you can do it."

"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have someone who believed in me."

"You just have to keep trying."

He nodded and he strode into the meeting room, where the other first shift cops were starting to gather. His partner was there, her purple eyes scanning the assignments for the day. He stepped up beside her, taking a look at the posted papers as well. Their names were on it, listed not with the regular routes, but on a slightly longer list on one side. He knew that meant they had a special assignment today, which was probably on a task force.

"Good morning." She spoke to him first, as soon as she noticed that he was right beside her.

Sodia was a young woman of medium height with short orange hair and a stern and stalwart temperament. She was a reliable partner and he didn't know who else he could trust to watch his back as he trusted her.

"Good morning."

Further conversation was interrupted by the chief, a large man who entered the room only shortly after his thunderous voice. The assembled police lined up with their partners and saluted.

Captain LeBlanc went over their assignments briefly, but kept those on the special assignment list behind for further briefing. After everyone else was dismissed, he went over the details of their work for the day.

Rumors of a warehouse being run by a notable Dahngrest weapons dealer had been proved founded and that warehouse located. They were going to perform a daytime raid on the building in order to secure the weapons and take anyone into custody who would be there. There was information that the weapon's dealer, a man who the bureau only knew as Yeager, was receiving a shipment today and would be there and with the weapons, he would be their main target.

As he finished his coffee he had his game face on. All other thoughts were gone from his mind and all that remained was his single-minded mission for the day. He was to assist in the capture a notorious arms dealer and his dangerous weaponry to make this city, his city, a safer place. His personal dilemmas were nothing now. Once he wore his badge and gun, there was nothing else on his mind aside from doing the best for his city.

* * *

The SWAT armor he was equipped with was heavy, but it was there for his protection, so he didn't complain, even as sweat pooled across his face and in his underarms. They had been waiting for nearly an hour now, hunkered down behind crates and heavy lifting machinery. Their target had not been there, but that allowed them time to prepare for his arrival and catch him off guard. They only needed to wait a little longer.

"Ja, vee got vat you are lookink for."

The accent was unmistakable. His fingers tightened around the butt of his gun and his shifted his vision to Sodia for a mere second. She nodded, and they returned to watching the metal warehouse door. After a moment, the door opened, grinding across the concrete ground as it slid.

Four people walked in. The first was a man with short, spiky grey-blue hair dressed sharply. His movements were brisk and he cut easily through the warehouse, followed by two young girls, with green and red pigtails, wearing grey and black pleated skirts and tops. The fourth person, a man who walked with a long, slumping gait, glared around the room with his bright red eyes. His brightly colored hair in magenta and blond, and his tight fitting black and gold costume equipped with many blades betrayed his identity. This was Zagi, the arch nemesis of True Knight and one of the most powerful super villains in the city of Zaphias. The first man was their target, and the two girls that followed, his lackeys.

Flynn suddenly felt that even the ten members of the task force were going to be no match.

"Vee hafe many wunderous vares that vill suit your needs. For a price, of course."

"As long as I can get something to beat that blasted True Knight." Zagi shifted his gaze across the room warily.

"Ja ja, vatever you need, vee have it." The arms dealer didn't seem too pleased to be dealing with one of the city's most notoriously disturbed criminals. Perhaps his patience was growing short. He motioned with one hand over his shoulder to the two girls. "Gauche, Droite, let us show Mr. Zagee some of zee merchandize."

The green haired girl stepped forward first, followed by the red head and, producing crowbars from seemingly nowhere, easily popped open a nearby crate. Flynn didn't have to see what was inside to know what it was. He was still waiting for the signal to strike. This was of the utmost urgency now that the enemy definitely had access to weapons.

Yeager took a large rifle from the box and began displaying its various features.

Zagi was disinterested at best. "I want something more hands on. Something personal."

"I see. Of course." He put the rifle back.

"I'm looking for something more along the lines of Dein Nomos."

"I assure you, if I had zat sword, it vould be vell beyond your abilitee to afford."

Before he could draw another weapon, while his hands were clear, the earpiece Flynn was wearing rang with the signal. He and Sodia and the other thirteen members of the task force sprung up, shouting and pointing their own weapons. All the words were lost in the din and they moved in to apprehend the four criminals.

The two girls threw smoke bombs, filling the warehouse with a haze, but he still pressed forward on command.

As quickly as the confusion started, a swift wind whipped through the warehouse, clearing the air completely. The entrance to the warehouse was now blocked off by two familiar silhouettes.

"Hold it right there." That voice was unmistakable.

"You're not getting away that easily."

"Scheiße!" Yeager moved to grab the rifle he once held from the box, but two officers apprehended him quickly. As they ordered him to the ground and began to handcuff him, he called out two his minions. "Droite! Gauche!"

The two girls scattered, but the first of the two silhouettes followed. Dashing along behind them, clad in a tight fitting but frilled white dress was Valkyrie, her long purple hair whipping behind her. Over crates they moved, the two girls fought through the heavily armored police officers to get the scaffolding that ran along the upper level of the warehouse and to the roof. Valkyrie was super fast and strong and would not be easily lost. She sprang up from behind them and onto the scaffolding stairs. The girls stopped dead in their tracks and backed up a few steps before turning to run away. As they did that, several officers came up behind them and with Valkyrie to block the exit, they apprehended them.

Flynn and Sodia moved forward to the only remaining target. Zagi had not been on their list, but his capture would be most beneficial to the city. The super villain however ignored them, and instead of attempting an escape, was sprinting toward the other silhouette. True Knight was just as fast as his partner and easily returned that speed.

They clashed, Zagi's long knives against True Knight's sword.

"Should have expected to see you here, True Knight!"

"Why did you even bother to crawl out from under your rock then?!" The superhero pushed back using one of his feet and knocked Zagi onto his back a few feet away.

Zagi rolled back up easily, spinning his knives.

Orders to surround the area were issued to those not currently handling the prisoners. Flynn moved with Sodia to the entrance of the warehouse to take up his post. No fire orders were handed down as True Knight and Zagi leapt back into battle, knocking each other all about the warehouse with amazing strength. Keeping alert on his surroundings was all he could do to not remain focused on the bout playing out in front of him.

True Knight crouched low and as Zagi came at him, he moved up with his sword, hitting the super villain in the abdomen and knocking the wind out of him. He crumpled and the hero took his opening to knock him out.

As soon as Zagi was incapacitated, Flynn moved in and threw handcuffs across his wrists behind his back while Sodia knelt on him and shackled his ankles. Three other officers came to lift the villain and carry him away. True Knight turned to him as Flynn stood, lowering his weapon.

"Good job out there, Officer Flynn." There was that smirk again that made his heart melt.

"T-Thanks."

True Knight sheathed his sword and walked away from them and toward a stack of crates where Valkyrie was waiting. They spoke for a moment, and sprinted out as quickly as they had appeared.

His stomach was aflutter and he tried to steady his uneasy step as he walked back across the warehouse floor. As soon as he made it to the SWAT van, he took a deep breath and mechanically began to disarm his rifle, piece by piece to calm his mind. Each step became a little more confident as he moved, pushing back the flood of heated thoughts in his brain, but he stopped abruptly. His boot hit something as he shifted, and a small glass orb rolled away from him. He paused to catch it, examining it closely.

It was a gemstone, the size of a nickel and bright apple red. He had seen it before, but he couldn't place where. Without a second thought, he pocketed it, and headed back to work.

* * *

For two days, the little red gem rolled around in his pocket. He found himself fiddling with it whenever his hand dared to stray there, whether morning or night, work or home. He looked it over many times, but all his examinations made it no clearer what it was or where it had come from.

He signed out of work for the day with the cheery Estelle and posed the question to her. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

She took the stone in her hand gently, her green eyes working slowly over its polished surface. "I can't say that I have. It looks like maybe it's from a piece of jewelry. Oh! Rita might know." She picked up the receiver of the phone beside her, tucking it into the crook of her neck. "Hi, Rita... Oh, I'm sorry. Are you busy?... I was wondering if you could take a look at something for me...That's great, thanks." Estelle smiled up at him, dropping the phone back into the cradle. "If anyone knows what it is, she will."

"Thank you."

From down the hall came a short young woman with choppy brown hair and teal green eyes. She was dressed in a black skirt and dusty red button up with a white lab coat over it. She seemed less than pleased, but the crime scene investigative unit's most brilliant lab tech wasn't really known for her pleasant demeanor.

"Sorry to bother you, Rita."

"N-No. It's fine. I was bored back in the lab anyway. What did you want me to look at?"

Flynn watched as Estelle presented the stone to Rita, who took it, examining it with eyes trained well beyond theirs. She flipped her goggles from the top of her head onto the bridge of her nose and hummed while the examination continued.

"Hm. It's a grade A quality blastium The cut and weight of it suggest maybe a large ring or bracelet as a setting."

"Is it very valuable?"

"Not per say. It's uncommon, but not particularly rare. You find it more often in old costume jewelry than any other application. But other than what I've already told you, there's not much more information."

"Thank you for your help," Flynn said. "If you'll excuse me."

The girls continued their chat and he left the precinct for the twilight streets of Zaphias. He headed down the street to the east side of town that housed his modest apartment, wondering about his possible dinner prospects. He didn't cook. Or more specifically he couldn't cook. The food he made always looked delicious, but it never tasted very good. There also wasn't much point in cooking for just one person. He found out some years ago that it was cheaper and easier to just eat out. He would pick up a meal from one of a number of local places and take it home to eat in deafening solitude.

It hadn't bothered him at first, caught up in work, but after a few days of living on his own in a big city, a heavy loneliness settled on him. It was worse some nights than it was others. He tried not to let it get to him.

As he passed the Comet Cafe, his stomach growled. This was usually his morning stop, but every now and then, the food they offered for lunch and dinner more than satisfied his needs.

He slid in. It was quiet this particular evening, only a few customers scattered amid the tables and armchairs. Yuri was standing at the counter, his back to the door, talking to the purple haired woman he worked with constantly. Flynn wondered once if they were together, but instead sensed that they were probably related due to the body language that passed between them. She nodded to Yuri, who turned lazily.

"Evenin', Officer Flynn." He stifled a yawn. "What can we get for you?

He hadn't even thought that far ahead. "Uh... Well whatever your special is will be fine."

"Reuben and potato soup. Take a seat. I'll bring it out when it's done." He turned and moved swiftly to the counter behind him. Flynn sat nearby, watching the attendant assemble the sandwich and pop it in a cardboard container, and followed suit with a cup of soup. He placed both items in a brown paper bag with the Comet Cafe's logo stamped on it. He added a bag of chips, a few napkins, and some plastic silverware.

Yuri disappeared into the back kitchen area for a moment and came back with another cardboard box that he added to the bag before rolling it up and stapling it securely shut. Lastly, he poured a to-go cup of coffee and fixed it the way Flynn always took it. His every move was swift and stunningly graceful, although Flynn didn't dare describe it as 'beautiful'. He wasn't the 'beautiful' that most people thought of. He was lean, but there was a muscular form beneath those clothes, perhaps the body of a runner or gymnast.

Flynn face grew hotter and hotter as he thought more on the young man making his dinner. Just when he thought he couldn't handle the thoughts any more-

"Officer Flynn."

He jolted out of his chair and to the counter, fumbling for his wallet. He kept his eyes lowered and hoped that his face wasn't as bright red as it felt.

"Here you go. Enjoy." Yuri set the bag on the counter and leaned against it on his elbows. He wore a strangely soft smile that sent a shiver up Flynn's spine.

"What do I owe you?"

"I don't need your money." He waved at him nonchalantly in what seemed like mocking annoyance, but smiled still. "See you tomorrow."

Flynn's heart skipped a beat and he had to force himself out of the cafe, bag and coffee in hand, and back toward home. Could it be that Yuri could have the barest inklings of a crush on him too? No, that was absurd. Yuri pretended not to be kind, but he really was. Flynn was merely one of his regulars. It had to be too good to be true. Or at least that was what he thought until he arrived home and sat down at a small dining table and unpacked his dinner.

There was a Reuben, a cup of potato soup, and another box. On the outside, in messy handwriting was a note that read 'New item. Tell me how it is. - Yuri'. He opened it to find a slab of cheesecake, topped with chocolate and strawberries. Free dinner was one thing, but dessert was something different.

He ate the soup and the sandwich, both of which were very good, before moving onto the cheesecake. He didn't normally care for sweets, but it had been given to him and he was obligated to try it. After the first bite, he was glad he did. It was undeniably fresh and creamy, the strawberries were ripe, and the chocolate had a dark, bitter tone to cut the sweetness. He savored each bite and couldn't help but wonder if any other regulars got treated so well.

Shortly after dinner, he cleaned up and did a few tasks around the house like some dishes and watched the tail end of an old black and white detective film. He took a shower and went to bed. As tired as he had been before, he lay awake for a very long time, rolling the red gem between his thumb and forefinger, and watching the play of the light that the moon had across its surface. The question of where it had come from still rattled in his mind as he finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

He rarely had a day off, and he wished that he enjoyed them more, but other than work, he had very little to do. A few chores around the house always passed quickly, leaving him plenty of time to get anxious for some fresh air, so as always, he found himself wandering to the Comet Cafe. There was rarely a day he didn't stop there. At this rate, Yuri was going to think he was a stalker. Even if he didn't talk to anyone much while he was there, he enjoyed the bustle and the feeling of company it gave him.

Yuri was there as always, his long dark hair swept up in a loose, messy bun, and his dark clothing splotched with white patches of flour. He was focused on his work, kneading a large lump of dough. Every now and then, Flynn could hear him hum a tune to himself.

"Good morning, Officer Flynn," Judith greeted him. "Off duty today?

"Yes."

Yuri turned, hands covered in flour, wiping a stray lock of hair out of his face with a wrist. He smiled at Flynn a bit before heading to the sink and juggling the knobs with his elbows to wash his hands. He came back after a moment, and leaned against he counter with his hip. "What'll you have today?"  
"The special." Of course. Yuri knew it before he ever asked. Flynn almost always got the daily special. It gave him some variety. "That's a club and chips. Anything else?"

"Just a coffee."

"Gotcha." Just as he had the night before, Yuri set about speedily assembling the sandwich.

Flynn watched him work, enamored with the slightest movement of his eyes and hips, the way his tied up hair slipped out in bits, brushing across his face or sliding down his neck. "I... uh... Thank you. For dinner last night. The cheesecake was amazing."

He looked up from where he was finishing up the sandwich on the counter. "I'm glad."

"Let me make it up to y-"

"Yuri." Judith came out of the back kitchen area, looking calm, but her brow furrowed slightly.

"What's up, Judy?"

"There's been an emergency at Karol's school."

He dropped everything, pulling off his apron as she continued.

"He's all right, but the school is evacuating and he needs you to go get him."

"Sorry, Officer Flynn. Judy, if you could finish up his order. I'll be back." He came around the counter in a hurry, snatching his wallet and phone from a nearby cubby.

"Wait. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Yuri smirked. "I can handle this. Thanks, though. See you tomorrow." He rushed out the door and broke into a full run when his boots hit the sidewalk.

Flynn couldn't hold still. He felt compelled to follow. His instincts as a police officer urged him to do anything he could to help in the case of an emergency. Even if he was off duty, he still had his pistol and badge on him and he could help take control of the situation. It was his job to protect his city after all.

"I'm going to help." He set some money on the counter and moved to follow Yuri. "I'm sorry, I'll be back for the food later." He hit the pavement, running to catch up. He could hear numerous sirens blaring and as they grew closer, a swarm of emergency response vehicles. One spotted him and stopped short beside him.

Sodia leaned over, throwing open the passenger side car door. "Get in."

He slid into the car and clicked on his seat belt as he tried to catch his breath. "What's the situation?"

"Barbos, the Stormblast, resurfaced at PS 135. The children have been evacuated, but he does have hostages. His demands are unclear right now since he's refusing to talk, but he does appear to have some massive explosives on site." She dropped the car into gear and they sped off through the busy city streets as cars and trucks moved aside to let them through.

Flynn took a moment to inspect and prepare his gun. The Stormblast, Barbos, was known for being notoriously bullet happy. In fact, the only reason that they managed to capture him last time was because of True Knight. But Flynn knew that the police couldn't rely on him for everything. If Zaphias was ever going to be safe, they had to learn how to control the problem themselves.

If Yuri was already there, he could be in danger. No normal person was a match for the Stormblast. It was Flynn's duty to protect the citizens of his city.

They arrived on the scene moments later and it was already a tense situation. A huge, stocky man stood on the roof of the brick school building. He was dressed mostly in red, looking somewhat like a pirate and had a large, spiked ball in place of a left hand. Behind him was a huge depth charge that sat on the roof. Police cars and people were huddled in a semicircle around the building. There was a lot of shouting between the police and the Stormblast, but due to the din, Flynn was unable to make out most of it. He and Sodia approached the base of operations, where their commanding officer stood, trying to work out the situation.

"What's going on, Captain?"

Captain LeBlanc lowered his megaphone to talk, hitting the off switch with his thumb. "The Stormblasts's got us in a tight spot. He doesn't want to negotiate and from what we can tell, the time on that bomb is ticking down. He's got a handful of hostages and we can't snipe him without running the risk of hitting a hostage or the bomb. We could sneak in from below and remove the hostages. Once they're out, the SWAT team could infiltrate the same way to remove Barbos and disarm the bomb."

"I'll go, Sir."

"What? Are you kidding?"

"Give me a vest and I'll head in. Because I'm in civilians, I would blend in better than the SWAT team. Using that, I can secure a safe path out for the hostages and SWAT can take over from there."

"You're either incredibly brave or incredibly dumb." LeBlanc motioned to one of the SWAT members, who came and quickly outfitted Flynn with a bulletproof vest under his button up shirt.

They waited for an opening, for Barbos to become distracted, and after only a moment, it came. From out of nowhere, True Knight was suddenly on the rooftop and he didn't waste any time confronting Barbos.

"Whaddya doing here, ya punk?!"

"Did you think I would just let you get away with plopping a huge bomb in this city?"

"You think you can stop me?"

"I know I can." True Knight drew his sword and lunged at the man and a battle of strength and blades ensued. Flynn wanted to watch, but he had a mission. With Barbos distracted, he made his entrance through a lone door on the side of the school that he had to force open.

The halls of the school were empty, but he did not drop his guard. Gun in hand, he pressed forward. He had to get to the top most floor as quickly as possible to get the hostages to safety while True Knight was handling the situation up above.

He cleared floor after floor, occasionally radioing back to the Captain the state of his progress. The majority of the area was unguarded until Flynn reached the fourth floor, the roof just above him. There were a few of Barbos's bandana-ed henchmen, guarding a door that read 'Faculty Break room'. They chatted pointlessly and Flynn picked up a few words of it. At least enough to discern that the hostages were in the room right behind them. His problem now was how to get them out of the way.

"The Boss wants you upstairs. I can handle this."

"Dude, why?"

"They need backup against True Knight."

"Fuck that. You go."

"Orders are orders."

The second guard grumbled and rushed up a set of stairs toward the roof, leaving Flynn with only one to handle, which was a considerably easier task. As the guard yawned, he took his chance. He charged the man, knocking him to the ground and out cold before he knew what hit him. He speedily cuffed the guard's hands behind his back and his ankles together, leaving him hog-tied on the hallway floor. He leaned down and took the guard's radio so that he couldn't call for help if he happened to wake up.

He scanned through the window on the door quickly, spotting five hostages, all alive and unharmed. He entered the room swiftly.

"Everyone stay calm. I'm with the police. We're going to get you out of here." He untied the hostages, two female teachers, one male, the principal and the secretary. He turned to radio Captain LeBlanc. "Captain, the hostages are safe and the floors are cleared with the exception of the roof."

"SWAT and first responders are on the way."

"Thanks, over."

In only a few moments, SWAT team members swarmed the building and made it to the fourth floor much faster than he had. He accompanied them down with the safe hostages and captured guard and they all stood around the building once more to watch the fight between the Stormblast and True Knight. There wasn't much left to see.

True Knight was winning, tossing the much larger man around between the flurry of their blades like a rag doll. In a flash, he performed a famous finishing move of his, Wolf Strike, in which a glowing beast of energy formed around him and thrust it and his sword forward against Barbos. The Stormblast was sent flying off the roof of the school. For half a second, a gasp echoed through the crowd, but instead of hitting the ground and probably killing him, the force of the blast threw him into an open paddy wagon.

SWAT was quick to cuff the staggering man and close and lock the doors of the wagon. True Knight stood triumphant on the roof the building for a moment, and then disappeared.

The scene slowly calmed once the threat of Barbos had been dealt with and the SWAT and bomb squad members entered the building once more to take care of the sea mine still sitting on the roof of the school.

Flynn pulled the bulletproof vest off, glad to be free of its protective, but overbearing weight on his chest. Rounding the police car that Sodia had brought him in, came Yuri and a boy.

"Hey there, Officer Flynn."

"Oh, Yuri. Are you all right?"

"Yeah. It took me a while to find Karol here with all the police and evacuees, but we're both safe." Yuri smirked, patting the boy's back. "By the way, this is my little brother, Karol."

The brunette boy waved a little, smiling. "It's nice to meet you, Officer!"

"It's nice to meet you, too." Flynn finished buttoning up his shirt, tucking it in. "They're starting to rope off the area for the police investigation. You two should get home."

"Okay. Don't forget about your lunch. It'll be waiting for you." The two of them turned, and Yuri waved a little behind him, causing Flynn to smile.

Flynn was glad everyone was okay. No one had been injured and Barbos and his men had been arrested without much incident with the help of True Knight. He had done more than help. He had defeated Barbos and saved several city blocks worth of property and hundreds of lives, and that just caused Flynn's admiration for him to swell a little more.

The area was quickly secured by the city of Zaphias' police force and the bomb found disarmed. Even though Flynn was off duty, he couldn't let this rest. Why did the Stormblast attack a school, and only take a few hostages? He didn't make any specific demands and this operation was clumsy at best. Barbos wasn't known for the strength of his tact, but his previous few attempts at domestic terrorism had all been better planned. What was different about this time?

He passed through the crime scene tape with a flash of his badge and retraced his steps through the halls of the school. Nothing seemed out of place or strange until he reached the furthest corner of the first floor and a small janitor closet. Within, a set of stairs led down to a basement level where things were indeed strange.

In the center of the concrete floor was a manhole with the corner propped up a very slight angle to leave it open and allowing the room to fill with the rank scent of the sewers below the city. Someone had been there recently, but who?

Flynn lifted the metal cover a little more and slid it off slowly and quietly. Had this been how Barbos got into the school, or True Knight, perhaps? He decided to investigate further and slipped down the ladder.

The sewers were poorly lit with yellow green lights that barely pierced the darkness and the scent of them was over overpoweringly foul with waste and water, human and otherwise. The pathway he found himself on was small and led off in a straight line over drainage pipes and culverts into the darkness dotted by lights. He would walk a ways, keeping to the path so as to not get lost, and then return.

The rush of the sewer waters didn't drown out the noise of the streets above as he walked. It was probably a quarter of an hour as he was deciding it was time to turn back when he happened upon a large pit where dozens of pipes drained out and flowed down into the lower levels of the sewer.

"What are you doing here?" A voice from behind him alerted him and a sharp edge of metal was pressed against his back.

At a disadvantage, he raised both hands. "Who's asking?"

A hand whipped him around and he was met with a face that was as surprised to see him as he was to see it. "Officer Flynn?" True Knight pulled his hand back and sheathed his sword. His whole body language changed suddenly. "Jeez. What the hell?"

"What are you doing down here?"

"Investigating what Barbos wanted here."

"Have you gotten any leads?"

"Ever heard of something called Dein Nomos?"

"I can't say that I have. Why?"

"Forget I asked." He folded his arms over his chest. "Thanks for the help getting the hostages out earlier."

"I was just doing my job. Thank you for taking care of Barbos."

He waved a hand at him. "Whatever. I can't just let people like that get away with doing whatever they want."

"True Knight?"

He didn't reply as he looked out across the sewage pipes, eyes like distant storm clouds.

"True Knight?"

"Uh. Oh. Sorry. What's up?"

"I was just wondering if, uh..." He felt hot again and he could feel himself blushing. He had a chance to make a move, even if the circumstances here weren't ideal. "If we could, uh, maybe..."

"Just say it." He didn't sound angry or impatient, but those charcoal eyes from behind the mask pierced him like no other.

"Could we do dinner or something sometime?"

The dark haired hero flushed a little, a light pink gracing those pale cheeks, and he sighed. "Look, you're a great guy and that's really nice of you, but it just wouldn't work out."

His heart sunk instantly. "Oh... I'm sorry. How stupid of me to think-"

"It's not like that. It's... complicated."

"Sorry."

"What about that guy Yuri at the coffee shop you're always at? He really digs you."

"What? Really? But how do you know?"

"I just do. Why do you think he gives you free food all the time? You should ask him out sometime. Trust me." He turned and let out a second sigh, soft and small. "But for now, thanks again for helping out."

"I'm just doing the best I can to protect this city."

True Knight looked over his shoulder and smiled softly. "It's good to know that I'm not the only one." He took a few steps in the direction opposite from which Flynn came. "See you later, Officer."

"Bye." He watched as the hero broke into a run and disappeared into the darkness of the sewers. Flynn, too, left the empty sewers behind and took once more to the streets above.

He tried not to let the rejection get to him. It happened. They knew so little about each other. Perhaps it was something as simple as True Knight not reciprocating Flynn's interest, or maybe it was the business he was in. Being a superhero couldn't have allowed a lot of time for relationships.

After a while, he stopped and found himself once more in front of the Comet Cafe. He still had lunch waiting for him here, probably long cold by now, and as he peeked in the window, he spotted only Judith standing at the counter, preparing food for another customer. He was a little relieved. He wasn't ready to face Yuri just yet. He needed a chance to think before he acted on True Knight's advice. He entered quietly, brushing off the coolness of the evening.

Judith passed a bag off to her customer, an elderly man who took it with a 'thank you' and hobbled out. She immediately looked to him with a smile. "Good to see you back, Officer. Sorry, Yuri's out right now, but we still have your lunch. I know it's a little late."

"Thank you."

She plopped a bag up on the counter. It was still warm to the touch. "Yuri told me to keep it cool for you. He would be here now, but he was in desperate need of a shower. And if you don't mind me saying, you are also."

"What?" He stopped, and lifted the collar of his shirt for a sniff. The scent of the sewer was hanging all over him. How had he not noticed before? "I'm sorry, I just-"

"It's all right."

"What's my total for the food?"

"Yuri said not to worry about it."

"I can't-"

"You helped out at Karol's school. That's enough for us." She smiled. "The least we can do is give you a meal every now and then as thanks for protecting our city."

He crumpled the opening of the bag in his hand, at a loss for words further than another muttered thanks. She merely continued to smile and waved him goodbye as he sulked out of the cafe and back into the night.

At some point, he returned home, although through the lights and the haze of the city around him, he couldn't place exactly when. He tried to not think about the sudden and bitter rejection, so he thought about anything else he could while he ate.

_Dein Nomos_.

Flynn had heard that before, but he couldn't place where. What was Dein Nomos and why was True Knight looking for it? That question wouldn't stop pestering him. So rather than crawling into bed, he turned on his computer and decided to do a little research. There had to at least be something on the internet about it. Whether or not it the information could be believed was another matter entirely.

The most popular search engines brought up numerous sketchy results that Flynn had to scroll through before finding any decent leads. Finally, a brief news article dated ten years earlier popped up and he found himself reading it aloud.

"The famous sword Dein Nomos, belonging to the Royal Family, was found to have been stolen from the museum where it had been kept for nearly a hundred years. The sword, pictured above, was believed to have belonged to an ancient king, who was said to have used to the sword's power to end the Great War. There are currently no leads or evidence to track down the thief or the sword, but the police are still investigating the mysterious theft. The museum has set a reward of ten thousand dollars for the sword's return and information leading to an arrest."

Above the article, was a small photo of a strangely shaped sword with a hollow formed blade that was made of bright red metal.

The article answered a few of his questions, but his research still left a bad taste in his mouth, and after reading it, decided that it was in his best interest to simply crawl into bed and wait for a new day.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Here's part 2! I hope you've been enjoying it, because while this is the end of Blue Plate Special, there are a couple of follow up stories on the way, although it might be a while before I post them. Thanks for reading.

Tales of Vesperia is the property of Namco Bandai.

* * *

Last night had been a bitter disappointment, but this was a new day. This would be the day he finally asked Yuri.

Flynn rolled out of the bed, the spring in his step a welcome change to the depression that had hit him only the night before. He showered and found himself taking a little extra care in his appearance. A warm, excited, tense apprehension clung to his skin and gripped his every nerve. It wasn't bothersome, although it did destroy his appetite. He decided, that rather than for breakfast, he would swing by the Comet Cafe for lunch and ask Yuri then.

His work that day was easy. He and Sodia were set on one of the neighborhood beats that allowed them the opportunity to walk the streets of the city they called home. Everything was lively and bright, and he felt better about everything.

They were recalled to the precinct in time for lunch. Sodia planned to set out, and Flynn grabbed his wallet before moving to the front desk where Estelle sat to sign out for his hour. The nervousness in his belly was worst, jumbling around the cup of homemade coffee that he managed to drink for breakfast and all of the acid that normally told him that he was hungry. He was anxious, but he wasn't going to back down this time.

"Thanks so much for the delivery." He could hear Estelle's voice as he rounded the corner, but was surprised by the second.

"Eh, no problem."

Flynn stiffened as soon as he saw Yuri leaning against the front desk with a box of brown paper bags between his arms. What was he doing here? Flynn hadn't had the proper time at all to mentally prepare himself for this. His carefully thought out conversation was quickly derailed.

"Hey there, Officer Flynn." Yuri spotted him, smiling as he waved.

"H-Hello." He forced himself not to stutter and tried to keep calm even as his heart was racing and he could feel warmth fill his face.

"You headed out for lunch?"

"Yes. I was just about to sign out."

"Here." Yuri fished through the box for a moment before pulling out a bag marked with Flynn's name. He handed it over with a crooked smile. "The special. I figure you'd like a pastrami on rye."

Flynn took the bag and mutely reached for his wallet.

"I don't need your money."

"But I-"

"We've got leftovers lying around all the time. I'd rather give it away than let it spoil."

Three times now he had been given food and not been allowed to pay for it. Had True Knight been right about why Yuri gave him free meals?

"Do you eat dinner?" Flynn's mouth started talking before he could think about the words coming out and how best to phrase it. Instead, it came out an awkward and jumbled mess. _Of course he eats dinner. _Flynn thought. _Why would you even ask that?_

Yuri cocked an eyebrow at him, and his smirk slowly softened into a smile. "Sure. When?" It seemed as though he understood that Flynn, in all his awkwardness and haste, was trying to ask him out.

"Tonight?" The acceptance only caused his heart to race further.

"Sounds great. Meet me at the cafe around eight?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll see you then." Yuri left the box with a smile and Flynn watched him walk out of the precinct building and down the street until he disappeared.

"Smooth move," Rita said sarcastically from behind him, but he barely heard it. He was in too much of a good move to care what anyone thought right now.

* * *

The rest of Flynn's work day passed like a warm summer breeze, and before he knew it, it was eight o' clock and he was standing in front of the Comet Cafe, waiting on Yuri to finish up.

Flynn had had enough time to go home and take another shower and get a clean change of clothing. He felt so confident earlier, but now he felt like a shivering mass of flesh with a set of bones that were no longer quite solid. They were going out for dinner, but Flynn wasn't even sure if he was even hungry under the butterflies in his stomach.

"Sorry about the wait." It was a little after eight when Yuri emerged from the cafe.

"It's not a problem," Flynn said calmly, as if only a few seconds earlier he hadn't been a bundle of nerves.

"So, what did you have in mind for dinner?"

Flynn had thought of that, but only briefly. "What are you in the mood for?"

"Hmmm..." Yuri hummed a bit, the same way he did when he was working. There was a warm pleasantness to that sound that Flynn found very enjoyable. "Have you been to the Black Hole Bistro?"

"No."

"Let's go there. They've got a pretty diverse menu, and they're not really expensive." He tucked his hands into his pockets and they strolled off away from the cafe.

Through the silence of their walk, Flynn scoured his brain for something to talk about, anything to distract him from jumping out of his own skin. "Thank you for the food these past few days."

"It's no big deal."

"You're a really good cook. Is it something you've done for long?"

"Thanks. Yeah," Yuri leaned back, looking up at the sky with a smile. "It's something my Grams taught me how to do."

"So what do you like to do in your free time?" He still felt awkward, in spite of how smoothly the conversation seemed to be going.

"I don't really have a lot of free time, but I do take some jujitsu classes at the community center every now and then."

"Really? Me, too." Flynn felt the anxiety ease a bit. "What level are you?"

"I have my third degree black belt exam coming up next month. what about you?"

"I only just got my second degree."

"That's cool." Yuri stopped abruptly, forcing Flynn to skid to awkward stop. "Here we are."

The Black Hole Bistro was a clean and quiet little place on the corner a few blocks from the Comet Cafe, crammed in between a laundromat and a bakery. The letters of its blue, neon sign flickered and faded as they entered the tinted glass door.

They sat themselves at one of the numerous dimly lit tables, and a waitress rushed by to drop off some drinks, a couple of menus, and a basket of bread before leaving them to peruse. The menu was varied and he found something quite easily that sounded delicious. Yuri didn't even bother to look at the menu, instead helping himself to some of the bread. The waitress returned a moment later to take their orders.

"I'll have the pot roast."

"Crepes Suzette." Yuri handed back the menus.

After she scurried off, Yuri continued the conversation, thankfully, not leaving Flynn to try and stumble for a topic again. "So I heard all about your triumphant arrest of that nut Zagi. And for doing the hostage rescue at Karol's school."

"I'm just doing what I can to protect this city, but as far as Zagi goes, I only put the cuffs on him. True Knight's the one who did all the real work."

"You don't think he's just some masked thug like all the others cops do?"

"Not at all. After everything he's done to protect us, we should be grateful. I know I am. But we can't rely on him forever. The police have to be able to take control of the situation ourselves. It's our job." He suddenly felt like he had gone too far, even though Yuri was smiling between mouthfuls of roll. He had gotten too vehement too quickly.

Thankfully, further conversation was postponed by the arrival of their food; his modest and home-cooked looking pot roast with mashed potatoes and green beans and Yuri's flaming, orange syrup soaked platter of crepes. Flynn changed the subject after that, to something that had been bothering him a bit since he had first started to realize his growing crush on Yuri.

"So, Judith is... a friend of yours?"

Yuri pressed a hand to his mouth as he finished chewing down a bit of hot crepe. "She's my twin sister." He smirked, looking mischievous. "Why? Are you interested in her?"

"Ah, no! It's not like that."

"I really pegged you as more of a 'bad boy' type. Was I wrong?"

An uncomfortable heat crept up his neck and he was left wordless.

"Relax, Officer. I'm just kidding." Yuri's smirk turned into a smile and he went back to eating.

The warmth didn't fade, but he chuckled a bit and felt a little less uncomfortable. "Just Flynn is fine."

"Okay then, Just Flynn. So why did you become a cop anyway?"

That topic brought up some sad memories, but they were part of a force that fueled Flynn's passion. This was a subject he was comfortable talking about. He knew this intimately. "My dad was a cop. After he died in the line of duty, I promised him I'd take up his duty of protecting people."

"That's pretty admirable of you. Must be a heavy burden to bear."

"Not really. I love what I do and I wouldn't trade it for anything." He ate a little and the nervousness in his stomach calmed. "What about you? Have you always wanted to run a cafe?"

"Not exactly. I wanted to go to culinary school, but I punched the professor in the nose and got kicked out. With no other prospects and a little brother to care for, Judy and I decided to use the last little bit of our inheritance to buy the Comet and open shop." He didn't seem as down in the dumps about that as Flynn expected of someone who was forced to give up on their dream. "But, you know what? I'm glad things turned out this way."

"As long as you're happy."

Yuri nodded, lifting his fork to take another bite of syrupy crepes when a tinny, bell like tone came from beneath the table. With a sigh, he dropped his fork and pulled out his cell phone, checking the screen before his eyes darted back to Flynn.

"I'm sorry. I have to take this. It's Judy."

"It's fine."

He walked away from the table and moved outside. Flynn could see him through the window. Very quickly, his face went a shade paler and his smile turned grim. He returned after only a moment, urgency in his step as he shoved his phone back in the pocket of his jeans. He pulled enough money out of his wallet to cover his meal and turned to Flynn.

"I'm really sorry to have to cut this short, but we've got an emergency at the cafe and I've got to go."

Flynn's heart sunk again, but it couldn't be avoided. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you're suddenly a plumber." Yuri shook his head. "We'll be fine. Thanks anyway."

"Okay, but here." Flynn scribbled his cell phone number on a napkin. "Please don't hesitate to call me. I'll do whatever I can."

Yuri leaned down, taking the napkin in such a way that caused his fingers to brush across the back of Flynn's hand. He pressed his lips against Flynn's and pulled back after just a second. "Thanks. I had a great time. We'll have to do it again."

His heart skipped a beat and he was frozen in time as Yuri hustled out of the restaurant. It had not been the first date he had been hoping for, but it wasn't a complete loss. From the way Yuri spoke, there would be subsequent, and hopefully more successful dates. Things were looking up.

* * *

Two more weeks got Flynn two more dates. These two ended better than the first, with Flynn seeing Yuri back to the cafe that he apparently lived above, and returning to his own place, his stomach full of nervous butterflies and the warmth of Yuri's lips still on his own. He liked this. He liked this a lot, and the sting of rejection that he had felt after the night that he asked True Knight was fading away. Their fourth date was only a day away and promised to be the best one of all. They were going to a nice restaurant; apparently a friend of Yuri's was the head chef and was able to get them a reservation. They would go to see their second movie together, and an action film they both had an interest in. Afterward, maybe they would get beyond chaste kisses to something a little more exciting.

Flynn didn't mind at all the chaste kisses that were passing more freely, and frequently, between Yuri and himself. It was still early in their relationship, but Flynn was interested in it becoming at least a little more intimate.

The night shift was the hardest but Flynn worked it twice a week anyway. It always came before a day off, so he didn't mind so much. He signed out with the night clerk and trudged home.

The rush of the night shift never seemed to leave him, and this night, like many before, he turned on his scanner while watching a little television and trying to wind down for some sleep. Signals buzzed and static fizzled over the scanners speaker, and he tuned most of this out. There were basic calls, nothing important. Most of them were calls from the officers into dispatch about small things such as warrants and traffic violations. Nothing major seemed to be happening that evening, and after his long shift, he was ready for bed.

Flynn carried the scanner out of his living room and into his bedroom with him, setting it on the nightstand. He stripped off his uniform shirt and tossed it in his laundry hamper. His pajama shirt was still on his bed where it had been that morning. He stretched his aching muscles, pulling on his shirt. He opened the window, letting in a cool breeze that caused his white curtains to billow slightly. In the distance, he could hear police sirens and the shout of codes over the scanner. It was a call for backup, but the scanner's static fuzzed out and he didn't get to hear the rest. It was out of his hands now, and he clicked the scanner off.

He turned the bedroom light off, and the combination of moonlight and streetlight illuminated his room enough for him to get to bed. He pulled off his belt and coiled it neatly on his dresser.

A thunk on his fire escape alerted him and he turned to the open window. A human silhouette beyond the curtains, backlit by moonlight, set him on edge. He reached for the gun in his nightstand, pulling it out slowly.

"Shit," a familiar voice muttered over the breeze and the sound of sirens. The curtains pulled back slightly, and a form that he had seen before poked his head in, immediately causing Flynn to put the gun back.

"True Knight?"

The superhero seemed surprised to see him as well and crept around the curtain. "Hey there, Officer Flynn. Sorry to drop in on you like this."

"What are you doing here?"

True Knight pressed a finger to his lips to silence him and peered through the window for a long, tense moment. A pair of forms landed on his fire escape with a clang, and a bit of banter followed.

"Aw, man. We lost True Knight. The boss is gonna kill us."

"I'm more worried about what he's gonna do to us when he finds out."

"Damn it..."

"Let's head back. True Knight would just have kicked our asses anyway."

The two silhouettes jerked about a moment as if looking around, and then sprinted away.

After a moment, True Knight turned back. "I just need a place to lay low for a few minutes."

"Is everything all right?"

"Nothing to worry about."

But there was something to worry about. The front of True Knight's dark jacket was torn, and the sleeve ripped from his shoulder to his elbow, exposing a series of long, heavily bleeding lacerations across the pale flesh of his biceps.

"You're hurt! We need to get you to a hospital."

"I said there's nothing to worry about. It's just a couple of scratches."

Flynn stepped up to him and grabbed his arm just above his elbow. "These are more than just a couple of scratches. You need medical attention."

"Look, I'll be fine. Besides, going to a hospital is out of the question. It'll just cause all sorts of complications." Seeking medical attention as a superhero could not have been easy. As true as that was though, Flynn couldn't leave things as they were. It was like there was some reason this happened, and he was going to do what he could to help.

"Wait right here." Flynn left his bedroom and walked briskly into his bathroom. In the cabinet underneath the sink, was a large first aid kit. His first aid training as a police officer was going to come in handy now.

He padded back into his room to find True Knight sitting on the edge of his bed, examining his own wound. Even he had to know what could happen if it remained untreated.

"Take off your jacket."

"I see. You just wanna get me outta this outfit, huh? Well, I'm not that easy, Officer."

Normally, that would have flustered him, but seeing an injured person in need of his help, Flynn was in his 'cop-mode'. He did feel a slight heat tinge his cheeks as True Knight actually took off his coat, but he remained firm.

True Knight removed his jacket, tossing it on the bed beside him and exposing exactly how tight the long, grey suit beneath it was. It had short sleeves that fit snug against the length of True Knight's arms, and Flynn had to roll up the one shredded around his injury. It was worse than it looked initially, and after he carefully picked away the bits of fabric clinging to it from the drying blood, he cleaned it carefully with an antiseptic. True Knight didn't flinch, even as Flynn found himself pressed close, cradling the superhero's elbow steadily in one hand while he was using the other to clean the wound.

The quiet that settled between them wasn't uncomfortable, but Flynn found himself with more questions than he had answers. "What happened?"

"I found out first hand that Zagi's henchmen, the Red-Eyes, don't appreciate snooping."

"Are you still looking for that 'Dein Nomos'?"

"Yeah, but I'm not having any luck. Don't worry about it though."

Flynn bandaged him up quickly and gently after that, tight enough that the gauze wouldn't slip, but with enough slack to allow True Knight a range of moment. "There. It's not much, but it should hold for a while."

True Knight raised his arm, rotating his shoulder as a test. "Thanks."

"It's nothing." He closed the kit up and slid it across the bed away from them. He should have taken it directly back to its spot, but he was half afraid that if he left, True Knight would have slipped out. "I've been meaning to ask, and I completely understand if you're not comfortable talking about it... but what are your superpowers?"

"Superpowers? Oh, you know, I don't actually have any." He shrugged.

"What?" Flynn felt himself flinch back an inch or so in surprise. "How are you a superhero without superpowers?"

"I don't need super powers to kick bad guy ass. I just do what comes naturally."

He kept his jaw from hitting the floor and collected himself through his surprise. He had always thought the True Knight had _some_ sort of superpower, whether that be incredible strength or lightning fast speed or _anything_. But instead he had nothing but his normal, innate born abilities to aid him in his defense of the city. It felt safe to assume the Valkyrie was the same way. That idea ate away at him quickly.

"Please don't put yourself in danger like this anymore."

"What?"

"You're only human. You shouldn't have to put your life on the line like this. I am a police officer. I will work harder so that you don't have to. So please... please just stop doing this."

"Not a chance." True Knight stood, pulling his arm away from Flynn. He grabbed his jacket off the bed, and started pulling it back on. "I appreciate what you've done for me, but this life is what I've chosen and no one, not even the police, can stop me."

Flynn opened his mouth to argue, to make his logic very clear. This was not a job for a civilian in a costume, but for the police. "I-"

"Shouldn't you be more worried about how things are going with your boyfriend than me?"

He stopped, surprised by the sudden question that quickly crushed his argument.

"How did you-"

True Knight cut him off again, walking to the window. "Don't worry about it. Don't worry about me. I can handle myself out there, and you cops are no match for Zagi. Just let me handle things." He hooked his arm outside of the window and straddled the windowsill for a moment.

"Wait."

"You can't convince me otherwise."

"At least take this." Flynn pulled a taser out of his back pocket. He usually kept it on him for safety purposes, but he certainly felt as though True Knight needed it more, even with his sword and skill. He pressed it into the hero's hand. "It's not much, but it should at least put you a step ahead of them."

That smirk that first attracted him stretched across True Knight's face and those stormy eyes lit up. "Thanks, Officer." His eyebrows furrowed after a second, eyes darting toward the floor. "What's that?"

Flynn looked down also, finding a small, round red shine coming off of his carpet. He stooped to pick it up, letting it rolling into his palm to show True Knight. It was the round red gem Flynn found weeks earlier and that he found himself carrying constantly. He often forgot that it was even in his pocket. It must have rolled out while he was reaching for the taser.

"That's..." True Knight took it from his hand, holding it between his first finger and thumb. "Hey, I've been looking for this."

"What do you mean?"

True Knight extended out his left arm and displayed a heavy gold bangle that was hanging from his wrist. In the middle of its sharp contours and rounded indentions, were two bright red gems. The first, and largest, was a faceted square diamond, and then a little further was another gem that matched the one now in his hand. Between the two, was a circular pit, devoid of decoration that looked like it may have been where something was missing.

"Thanks for finding it." True Knight slipped the gem and the taser into the pocket of his pants. "So, Officer... you wanna see who's behind the mask?" His eyebrows lifted suggestively and he leaned toward Flynn.

"I-I couldn't. Knowing that you don't have powers, I can't become a liability to you."

"That's sweet of you," he smiled and pressed an inch closer. He planted a quick and chaste kiss on Flynn's lips, which caused him to stiffen completely, frozen in place. "Well, Officer, thanks for your help. See you around."

With a wink, he hopped out onto the fire escape and before Flynn could follow him, True Knight was gone. Why? Flynn was just getting over True Knight's initial rejection. Why was he suddenly getting all these mixed signals?

* * *

He slept in late the next day, which was uncharacteristic of him even when he worked the long shift the night before. It was almost ten in the morning before he wrestled himself out of his sheets and trudged into the shower. The first aid kit was still sitting on the bathroom counter where he had left it numbly the night before after his strange meeting in his own bedroom with True Knight. He didn't believe that it had really happened at first, but the first aid kit being left out in the open and not being in the spot were he always kept it and a small smear of blood across the side of his window cemented it for him.

True Knight had been here, been injured. Flynn had field dressed the wound. They had talked about True Knight's powers, or lack thereof. Flynn returned the gem that had rolled around in his pocket for weeks, an item that he hadn't even realized belonged to True Knight. They had kissed. Or True Knight had kissed him. The line between those two different things blurred when he thought about it. He hadn't stopped him. He had been just as guilty.

And what of Yuri? They were dating, but Flynn was torn once more. Yuri or True Knight.

He tried not to think about it, to not let the questions he was posing to himself bother him. He tried to go about his day like any other. There were chores to be done and errands to run.

He stopped in at the Comet just before he was supposed to meet Yuri for their date. It was just before closing. They were not busy, and he found Yuri and Judith hanging around behind the counter with the small tasks he often saw them working on: icing cakes, slicing meats, tidying the counters.

The bell rang, signaling his entrance and they both turned. Judith shoved Yuri playfully, hitting his arm. He scowled and rubbed his left arm in annoyance. He said something to her, but she just smiled and waved at Flynn.

"Good evening, Officer."

"You're early," Yuri said.

"Yes, sorry."

"It's fine. Give me a few minutes to go upstairs and change, okay?"

"Of course." He watched Yuri pad into the back kitchen and disappear. Flynn knew that Yuri, Judith, and Karol all lived above the cafe, so it wouldn't take him very long to be ready. Flynn had been early, after all.

"Be careful with him, okay?" Judith's sudden statement surprised him.

"What?"

"Oh, his arm's bothering him a bit today."

Flynn wasn't sure what to say, but luckily Yuri's emergence from the back in a fresh change of clothes, and Karol in tow kept him from having to come up with a response.

"You two be good." With one hand, Yuri messed up Karol's hair tenderly. "I'll be back later."

"Have fun." Judith smiled, thin and foxy.

"Bye, Yuri. Bye, Officer Flynn." Karol waved behind them as they left.

Leaving the Comet Cafe behind, they walked into the downtown of Zaphias. Although the evening was mild, Flynn felt a shiver run up his spine as Yuri slipped one hand in his. Flynn was torn once more, his mind filling up not with thoughts of Yuri, but of True Knight. Did he tell Yuri what had transpired? Of his indiscretion? Of the kiss between them? Or did he leave it be? He wasn't the one who initiated it. True Knight had been the one who kissed him, but Flynn hadn't stopped him. He had been too stunned to pull away, but that was no excuse.

"You okay?"

Flynn snapped back into his present situation and tried to smile. "Yes. I'm sorry. I've just been a little distracted lately."

"True Knight, huh?"

He tried, and failed to hide his shock. Before he could fumble for an answer, for an excuse, for _anything_, Yuri spoke again.

"I hear that he's been causing trouble lately. That can't be making your job any easier."

Several blocks away, well past the precinct and into the upscale area of downtown, they found the restaurant Yuri had gotten them reservation for: the posh Denabola. There was a line leading out of the glass and gilded door and well down the street. Yuri led them in through the crowd and straight to the maitre'd.

"We have a reservation."

"Under what name?"

"Lowell."

The maitre'd perused the book in front of him over the rim of his glasses. "Lowell... Lowell... Lowell... I'm sorry. I don't have a reservation for you."

"I'm college buddies with the head chef. He was supposed to reserved me a table."

"I'm sorry, sir, but there's nothing I can do. If you would like to wait for a table to open up, it'll only be about an hour."

Yuri looked back at Flynn with a bit of a sigh. "Well, that didn't work out. Do you want to wait?"

"Not really." Their date had just started and things were already going awry. It was disheartening. "Let's figure something else out."

They left the busy building and headed back down the street.

"So now what do you want to do?" Yuri asked.

"I don't know." He wasn't exactly thinking about it. This wasn't working out.

"Don't pout about it. So what if that place didn't work out?" Yuri smiled at him and squeezed his hand a bit. "I've got a better idea. How about we head back to your place and I cook us dinner?"

"M-My place?"

"Yeah. Or is my cooking not good enough?"

Suddenly, the prospects of further intimacy in their relationship were much, much more within reach. The rush of blood under his skin pushed back the cool of the night air, and he resisted rubbing his now very sweaty hands on his pants when he was still holding Yuri's hand. He was relishing very much those strong, slender fingers pressed against his.

"No!" Flynn voice sounded too loud, mostly from the surprise and expectations that were still forming in him. "Your cooking is great. Let's do it." He regretted his last choice of words, but only slightly. "The only problem is, I don't keep my cabinets very full, so I can't say there's much for you to cook."

"There's a grocer that's open late down the street. We'll pick up a few things."

"Okay. That sounds great."

Past the Comet, and back toward the building that housed Flynn's apartment, was the grocery store Yuri had described. As they entered, Yuri and the clerk, a hunched old man, seemed be on friendly terms and Yuri and Flynn moved on to walk the aisles in search of the items for their dinner.

"Anything in particular that you're craving?"

"Not really." Flynn had largely been too nervous thinking about how their evening went to worry with details like what he was interested in eating.

They paused at a meat case and Yuri looked over the various cuts of plastic wrapped meats with a careful and trained eye. After a moment, he picked up a sizable flank steak with a marbled surface.

"What do you have?" He asked, looking at it in his hand.

Flynn listed off a few very basic condiments he had on hand for the little cooking he did, and Yuri nodded as he did.

"Okay. I've got an idea then, but I still need a few more things."

A short trip to the small produce section netted them a bag of potatoes, a clove of garlic, a bundle of asparagus, and a handful of fresh herbs. At the front of the store, Yuri picked up a bottle of red wine and went to the check out. Flynn pulled out his wallet, completely intent on paying for the food that Yuri was offering to cook, but once more his money was denied. Even further protest didn't change Yuri's mind. No matter what Flynn said, Yuri only became more stubborn.

Their skirmish over who was paying for what did little to dampen their date further, thankfully, and they were at Flynn's apartment in less than fifteen minutes.

He let them in, his keys rattling in his shaking hands. He suddenly worried about whether or not his place was even clean enough for company. Had he taken out the trash? Was the bathroom clean? Did he even have cookware? But all of those worries went down the drain when Yuri seemed to take easily to his small, ill-equipped kitchen and wasted no time getting down to cooking.

"Do you need any help?"

"Yeah. Take the asparagus and the potatoes and wash them. I need a pot, a frying pan and a baking pan and wire rack also."

Flynn retrieved the necessary cookware that he was very thankful to have had, and thoroughly rinsed the potatoes and asparagus. While he was cleaning them, Yuri stopped by the sink to fill the pot with water. He reached across Flynn to grab the cleaned potatoes, their arms brushing against one another. Yuri smirked a little, and pulled back, eying Flynn in a way that caused him to once more think of the inappropriate things that had been burning in his brain since Yuri mentioned coming here in the first place.

Yuri set the pot with the potatoes on the stove, adding a bit of salt to the water. As it started to boil, he marinated the steak in garlic and soy sauce before putting it on the wire rack baking pan and setting the oven to broil.

They chatted a little, mostly banter to pass the time while the food cooked. After he had done his part, Yuri relegated Flynn to watching, but Flynn didn't mind. He liked and knew from much time watching all the little movements that Yuri made while he was working in the kitchen. Days of watching him prepare meals and coffee had acclimated Flynn to it, but the grace and precision of the motions grabbed his attention every time.

Soon his apartment was filled wit the wonderful scent of a home cooked meal, and Yuri was pulling the last of it off the stove. He carefully plated and garnished the food and they sat down to a broiled steak dinner with herb and butter potatoes and stir - asparagus.

"It smells delicious." Flynn cracked open the bottle of wine and poured them each a glass.

"I hope it is."

The daily special he ordered impressed him, and this was worlds better than any sandwich could be. It was better than he could have even hoped from any fancy restaurant they may have chosen. And Flynn had no qualms about telling Yuri how he felt about it.

"This is amazing, Yuri. I've never had a steak this tender or any vegetable as good as this."

Compliments about his cooking seemed to be the one thing that caused Yuri to blush. It was a very faint tinge of pink on his pale cheeks and his eyes darted away.

"It's nothing."

"It's not _nothing_. I've never had cooking this good. I can't thank you enough for this amazing meal."

Yuri got up as soon as he finished eating and scooped up Flynn's cleaned plate and glass to drop them in the sink, and Flynn followed to help. "I like cooking. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Here. You cooked, I'll do the dishes."

"There's only a few of them. I've got this."

"I can't let you." He grabbed Yuri's wrist as he moved to turn on the faucet.

"What are you going to do to stop me?" Yuri smirked at him again.

Flynn wasn't sure what sort of answer he was looking for for that question, but Flynn responded with a kiss. Yuri seemed to like that answer.

He leaned back against the counter as Flynn kept the kiss going longer than the brief ones they had shared in the past. Flynn let go of his wrist and slid his fingers in between Yuri's. He squeezed tightly, and pulled back to take a breath. Yuri pulled him back in, tilting his head a little and opening his mouth just enough for a sliver of tongue to poke through and prod Flynn into further action. It didn't take much for Flynn to get the idea.

Their first kiss, the first real kiss, lasted longer than a few dozen heartbeats and only left Flynn wanting more and further contact. He wasn't the only one, and they stumbled out of the kitchen and into Flynn's bedroom.

Yuri pinned him against the headboard of the bed, straddling him and continued their fighting volley of kisses and tongues. Flynn let his hands wander up Yuri's thighs, over dark pants that were almost a size too tight but allowed Flynn to intimately imagine the skin just below them. He ran his hands further up, over gently sloping hips and lean torso. Yuri's hair slid easily through his fingers like dark silken strands.

"Are you... uh... okay with this?"

"Would I be the one sitting in your lap if I wasn't?" Yuri nuzzled under his chin, kissing him just below his jaw, and then several more times down the length of Flynn's neck. "Are _you_ have second thoughts?"

Flynn didn't answer in haste, but took his time to think about it. This was what he wanted. He wanted Yuri. "No."

"Good." Yuri pressed back against him, preparing to dive into the kisses once more, but stopped suddenly.

From his pocket, that tinny, bell ring tone came, although muffled. It was his phone, going off, and he seemed resolved to ignore it. Flynn was fine with that. The ringing stopped thankfully after a moment. Just as they were about to pick up where they left off, it started up again.

Grumbling, Yuri pulled the phone out of his pocket and sat straight up in Flynn's lap. "Sorry. It's Judy."

"It's fine." The second time their date was interrupted was annoying, but family had to come first for Yuri. She probably wouldn't have called if it wasn't important.

He flipped the phone open and started talking. "Judy, I'm sort of in the middle of something - What do you mean? - Are you kidding me? Fuck! Okay. Okay. I'll be back as soon as possible. - Yes I'm on the way. Be careful."

As soon as he closed the phone, he was swearing and climbing off the bed, and Flynn followed him to the door of the bedroom.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just a minor emergency."

"Let me help. There's not much I can do, but I'll do whatever I can to help you."

Yuri stopped with a sigh and looked at him seriously. "This is not something that you can help with. I appreciate it, but Judy and I can handle this. I'll come back as soon I get this taken care of, okay?"

Flynn wasn't exactly convinced.

"It's fine. Don't worry. I'll be back and then we can pick up where we left off."

"I'm coming with you." If Yuri was going to deny him, he would insist. Yuri couldn't honestly stop him from doing what he wanted to do. Except Yuri was about to prove that wrong.

"I can't have you following me." He pulled a black, plastic rectangle with two metal prongs on its edge out of his pocket.

"Hey, wait. Isn't that-"

Yuri jabbed him in the side of his torso, the prongs digging into the flesh at his ribs. Flynn heard a brief click and a buzz before a hundred thousand volts of electricity shot through him. Instantly, his every nerve ending seized up and his entire body stiffened against his will. As soon as the metal left the surface of his flesh, he started to fall, vision darkening as he flopped back on to the bed.

"Sorry, Flynn. I'll explain everything later," was the last thing he heard Yuri say as his consciousness slipped away from him.

* * *

It couldn't have been too long before he woke, the shock of being tased wearing off. His side hurt where the metal prongs sent the current through his body, and upon examining them through his shirt, he found two burns were they had come to rest.

Flynn rolled to the edge of the bed and sat up. He had a thousand questions for Yuri, and right now, no answers. He had every intention of getting those answers, even if that meant following Yuri after he was very expressly forbidden from doing so. A little thing like a taser wouldn't stop him. But that taser only raised further questions. He didn't have time for that. There were probably a million in the city of Zaphias like that one.

His cell phone began to ring. From the picture displayed on its screen, he could tell it was Estelle and the little digital clock above her image told him that he had only been unconscious for a moment.

"Hello?"

"Flynn, are you okay?!"

"Yes, I'm fine. Why? What's wrong?"

"Zagi's escaped from prison! I thought I should tell you since-"

The call cut off and before he could redial, the phone was knocked from hand. He turned, but there was nothing beside him. A fast paced shuffle against the carpet beneath him drew his attention down to his feet.

Between his feet was a face, a somewhat terrifying gas mask covered face, staring up at him from behind a pair of large, red lenses.

"Hey, man."

Another one popped out beside him and Flynn reflexively yanked his legs up onto the bed like a child hiding from the monsters underneath. He could hear them slide across the carpet, those two figures and then a third stood. They wore dark, hooded coats and their arms were covered in metal plates and blades. One of them waved at him.

"Sorry about our boss, dude. He's sort of a stickler for protocol."

"Who are you?" Flynn inched backward, toward the nightstand that held his off duty gun. As his fingers found the handle of the drawer a pair of hands shoved him forward and away from it.

"We work for Zagi."

"So, uh... you gonna go quietly or what?"

"Not a chance." Even without a weapon, he still had his martial arts. He prepared to strike, but the Red-Eyes grabbed both of his arms and pinned him to the bed.

"Quit struggling! Hey!"

"This'll go a lot easier if you just work with us."

"What do you want from me?" Flynn tried to wrench his arms away from the two holding him, tilting back so that he could kick at them, but another sat on top of his legs to keep him from moving. This was not how his date was supposed to be going at all.

"You're going to be bait for True Knight."

"What do-"

A sharp blow to the head sent him reeling and his vision went black again as he fell face first into the bed.

* * *

In waves that darkness pulled back, a little at a time until he was able to open his eyes. Flynn was no longer in his room. In fact, he didn't recognize where he was at all.

At first, he thought he had been tied up and left in a bar, or a men's locker room somewhere, but with all the Red-Eyes lounging around, drinking from coffee mugs and smoking cigarettes, he assumed that it was Zagi's lair. It was rather unorthodox for a villain's lair, aside from the fact that the walls of the warehouse were practically encrusted with stolen merchandise. There were pictures _everywhere_ of the Red-Eyes posing for photos while stealing said merchandise, and apparently playing pranks on each other.

Flynn scooted around the concrete floor as much as his tied up ankles and wrists would allow, and found that he had been placed in front of a massive high definition television. Across from him was a long, circular sofa were many of the Red-Eyes sat, playing a first person shooter game on the screen above.

"Dude, you should buy a guy dinner before you plow him that hard."

"You mad, bro?"

While their attention was elsewhere, Flynn got a better look at himself and his surroundings. He struggled against the knots at his hands and feet, but they held tight. His movement was severely restricted, and he had no chance of slipping free. There was nothing in his immediate area sharp enough to cut the thick, nylon ropes.

"Oh, looks like our hostage is awake." One smiled at another.

"The sign clearly says he's a princess."

Flynn looked for said sign and found a small dry-erase board dangling around his neck. The word 'hostage' had been written, and scratched out, and below it read 'princess'.

"Got anything to say for yourself?"

"What do you intend to do with me?"

"We told you before we socked you. You're gonna be bait for True Knight."

A loud series of crashes erupted from another part of the warehouse and the group of Red-Eyes grew quiet and slithered back to the couch. They eyed an open path in the stolen merchandise nervously, and after a moment, the reason was revealed when Zagi came stomping up the way, knocking things over as he moved.

"You maggots did something right for once!" He shouted, storming right up to Flynn. "Well, if it isn't Officer Flynn Scifo. Or should I say, the one that will lure True Knight right to me?!"

"I don't know why you think I'd make a good bait for him."

"You seriously don't get it?! How stupid are you?!" His face reddened with anger and he whipped around to look at the Red-Eyes assembled on the couch. "Do one of you idiots what to explain it to him?!"

"No, sir!"

Flynn's ignorance only seemed to make Zagi more infuriated.

"You really don't know?!" He shouted and stomped around. "You're the one who's been distracting True Knight from playing with me! I don't know what he sees in an idiot like you!"

"He doesn't feel that way about me."

"It doesn't matter!" Zagi's shouting turned into cackling. "You're still a citizen in danger! And whether or not you realize it, you're awfully important to True Knight!"

"Wow, you really like throwing my name around, don't you?"

All the lights died out and the warehouse went completely dark as soon as True Knight's voice rang out over the floor. The television also blinked off, much to the Red-Eyes' dismay. Flynn could hear them cry out in the darkness.

"I was the middle of the final boss fight!"

"We haven't saved in, like, four hours!"

Zagi's voice called out, too. "You maggots! Forget about your stupid game and get those lights back on!"

"Yes, sir!"

Through the darkness, Flynn could hear the Red-Eyes scatter, scrambling over shipping crates and stolen merchandise. Zagi didn't seem to be moving, and as Flynn stretched his hearing across the darkness, his focus was reeled back in by a hand on his shoulder, and the warmth of a cheek against his ear. He stiffened instinctively.

"Relax. It's just me." True Knight's voice calmed him just as quickly. "As soon as those lights come back on, make a break for it."

"I can't let you fight this maniac on your own."

"Don't argue. You're not armed and with that sword, he's going to be a lot tougher than before."

Just as his eyes had become accustomed to the darkness, the lights flickered on, nearly blinding him. The point of a sword pressed between his eyes and at the end of the blade, was Zagi, grinning wildly.

"There you are, True Knight. Why don't you worry about your damsel in distress after I've defeated you? I'm really sick of him getting between us."

"You know, I have a life outside of kicking your ass, right?"

"It can't be very much fun."

"Maybe not, but it sure as hell is relaxing."

"Stand up. And drop your sword."

"Make me."

"Fine. I'll just use this cop as a practice dummy for what Dein Nomos here can do."

He eased up slowly, pulling away from Flynn. He set his sword down on the ground and held up his hands. "There. Now I'm unarmed."

"Good. Take off your bracelet."

True Knight's stormy eyes caught Flynn's for a brief second and he sighed. "I guess it was going to come out sooner or later." He slid the heavy gold bangle from his left wrist and as soon as he did, a bright flash of sparkling light disintegrated his outfit, revealing simple jeans and a t-shirt underneath. His dark hair fell down around his shoulders and the mask over his eyes disappeared, showing the face of someone Flynn knew quite well.

"_Yuri_?"

"Now give it to me," Zagi demanded, a hand outstretched to take the bracelet.

Yuri coiled back and threw it, hitting Zagi right in his head and sending him and the sword in his hand, flying backward and crashing into a nearby crate. "If you know anything, Zagi, you'd know that I don't need that to kick your ass."

He flipped his sword up with a motion of his foot, catching it before spinning it in his palm and charging forward. He pulled the scabbard off as he dashed, flinging it into Flynn's lap. Zagi was up in a matter of seconds, the strange sword in his hand glowing with an eerie aura. He jumped up, dodging Yuri and landed a few crates above, cackling. Using the blade, he fired the energy at Yuri, who blocked with his sword, turning his body away from the blow before proceeding in the chase.

"With this sword, I'm unstoppable!"

"I wouldn't count on that!"

They continued to shout, striking out with blades whenever they were within reach. Flynn took the opportunity to try and struggle against his bonds once more, only to find them still tightly tied. In the commotion, Yuri hadn't had the time to cut him free. He fought harder against them until his arms were wet with sweat and his wrists rubbed raw from the fibers of the nylon. He continued his struggle as he watched, but he was starting to feel like he was going to have to wait for someone to cut him loose.

Yuri and Zagi had barely slowed at all, their swords clashing in a flurry of sparks and their forms ricocheting all over the warehouse. The Red-Eyes all slunk back, sitting on the sofa to watch the fight unfold, a large bowl of popcorn slung around between the five of them. They were taking bets.

"The boss in is the zone today."

"Dein Nomos or not, I think he's got a chance this time."

"Man, don't you know the hero always wins?"

"True Knight's just showing off for the princess here. I give it five more minutes before he finishes the boss off."

"If he finds out you're wagering against him, he's gonna take it out of your hide."

The two combatants dashed through the open area, crashing through boxes and toppling over the sofa, sending the chattering minions scattering once more.

"Give it up, Zagi!" Yuri had him cornered, pointing the blade of his sword at the maniac.

"Not on your life!" The sword in his hand began to glow again, a harsh, bloodthirsty red that spread down Zagi's arms and over the rest of his body. His grin widened, nearly ear-to-ear and full of sharp teeth. "Don't look down on me, Yuri! You've always looked down on me!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Yuri dashed in, aiming to knock the sword out of his hands, but as soon as he neared Zagi, the red light drove him back, sending him skidding across the concrete floor.

"You don't remember?! _You don't remember?!_ How could you ever forget, Yuri Lowell?! I've always hated you and it's all your fault!"

"You've got issues!" Yuri tried to stand his ground, shielding his eyes with one arm as the light grew more and more intense.

"It was on this day, fifteen years ago, that you became my most hated rival!"

"Fifteen years ago... Are you fucking kidding me?! I was in first grade!"

"Yes! That's right! Mr. Dropwart's first grade class at PS 612!" Zagi fired at him, and Yuri sidestepped to dodge them.

One blast hit him, grazing his right arm and the force caused him to drop it at his side. The next blow that came he returned with a swipe of his sword. "How the hell-?!"

Zagi stepped forward, that red light covering him completely. "Now do you remember, Yuri?!"

"Oh my fucking god, you're still mad about _that_? You were the idiot who started it! You're lucky it was me and not Judy who punched you in your stupid nose! That's what you get when you pick on little kids, you creep!"

Zagi's anger at the statement came out of his mouth in a stream of incomprehensible primal noises and the energy around him burst. While he was busy venting his rage, Yuri charged, throwing the assassin backward into the wall, and knocking the strange sword out of his hand and sending it spinning across the floor. The glow instantly diminished, and Zagi was left with Yuri pinning him.

"Give it up, you weirdo!"

"Never!" Zagi turned the tables, flipping over.

Yuri kicked him off, sending him flying into the television. The LCD screen scattered beneath his weight, sending a shower of sparks onto the floor below as he fell. He clattered to the ground only feet from Flynn. Zagi fought to get up, but his body was failing him, shuddering with every minor movement.

"I'll never... give up... not now that... I have... Dein Nomos..."

"Oh, you mean this?" Picking up the discarded sword, Yuri strode back and planted one foot firmly on Zagi's back and flattening him against the floor. "Holding a grudge for fifteen years because I bopped you on the nose when we were six. You're crazier than I thought."

"You'll never understand, Yuri..."

"I don't really want to." Yuri dropped to one knee, raising Dein Nomos high above him. He hit Zagi across the top of the head with the butt of the sword, knocking him out. Zagi instantly went limp and Yuri stood.

He walked over to Flynn, and using the red sword, cut him free. As soon as his hands were loose, Flynn untied the bonds around his ankles and was able to stand, if a bit sorely.

"You okay?" Yuri asked.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"So... I guess I've got some explaining to do." He avoided Flynn's gaze, choosing to stare out across the warehouse instead.

"A little. But it can wait." Flynn slipped a hand into Yuri's, squeezing tightly. Yuri was okay. He was victorious. He was amazing and fiery, and Flynn was just glad that everything seemed fine. But that wasn't enough.

As True Knight, the defender of the city, Yuri was constantly in danger, continually at risk of getting hurt, or worse. He lived just on the wrong side of the law, a vigilante doing everything he could to protect the people of Zaphias. Flynn feared for him, and admired him for it. It was dangerous, and Flynn knew that there was no way he could talk him out of it.

"Glad I finally found this thing." Yuri raised Dein Nomos, admiring the otherworldly craftsmanship that had forged the blade.

"Dein Nomos. What's so special about it?"

"Oh. I guess I never got around to explaining it to you. Dein Nomos is a mythical blade that grants the holder superpowers."

"That's why Barbos and Zagi were both after it."

"Yup."

"So, now that you have that, does it mean that I don't have to worry about you not having any powers when you're out being reckless?"

"I'm not keeping this. This town, the whole world, will be better off without it." Yuri held Dein Nomos high above his head. It started to glow, just as it had with Zagi. The glow spread down his arms, and when it reached his left hand, he curled it into a fist and punched the blade. The metal shattered like glass beneath the strength it endowed Yuri with.

The glow faded as the shards clattered to the floor, the red patina of the metal gone now. All that was left were slivers of simple, cheap, poorly cast metal.

"There. That should take care of that." Yuri smiled, and Flynn couldn't help but smile, too. In spite of the fact that the sword that would have imbued him with the strength to protect Zaphias, Flynn felt like this was the right choice. An item of this power could have reaped more destruction that it could have stopped. This was for the best.

"Now I believe it's customary for the princess to give her knight a kiss after getting rescued." With one finger, Yuri prodded the sign still hanging around Flynn's neck, and he turned into Flynn.

"I suppose you've earned it." Flynn let his hands come to rest on Yuri's hips, pulling him in. He leaned in, tilting his head and pressing up against Yuri.

The kiss lasted a long moment, broken only by the sound of sirens crying out in the background.

"I better get going."

Regretfully, Yuri had to pull away, fishing his gold bangle up off the floor and slipping it back on. His True Knight outfit covered him a shower of light and sparks. It was terribly attractive on him. Flynn was mostly interested in getting him _out_ of it right now.

He turned to see Yuri tying Zagi up with the rope that had bound Flynn.

"You should probably get going too, if you don't want your co-workers to see you as a damsel in distress."

"I guess you're right." Flynn pulled the sign off, tossing it across the warehouse. He grabbed Yuri's hand once more, pulling it up to kiss his knuckles. "See you back at my place?"

"I'll be there."


End file.
